Warrior Cats: Sheepcloud's Sorrow

Chapter Five

"Leafkit, Smallkit!"

Sheepkit was awoken by a screech that nearly ripped her ears straight in half. She blinked open her eyes in time to see a dark grey tail disappearing through the nursery exit.

Oliveclaw?

Oliveclaw was the mother of Ravenkit, along with her siblings, Leafkit and Smallkit.

Why is she yowling? Doesn't she know some cats need sleep?

Sheepkit glanced at her sister, settled down in the nest beside her. Pouncestrike had already sat up by the edge of the nest, as if she hadn't even been bothered to lay near her kits, as if they didn't even belong to her.

She forced herself to look away from her mother, who was quickly rising to her paws and then running out of the den as if she had been awake for ages. She looked back at her sister. Icekit, being deaf, had been completely undisturbed by Oliveclaw's yowling.

She placed a paw on her sister's shoulder. She didn't care about Oliveclaw's screeching. She had bigger problems, like her mother being a foxheart, her father being a kittypet and Daisyfur trying to force her sister into being a medicine cat.

My family is a mess, Sheepkit concluded, frowning.

Knowing better than to disturb her sister's peaceful sleep, she left the den. A lot of the Clan were already gathered around Oliveclaw, who was still screeching.

Sheepkit spotted Bluekit, and was at her friend's shoulder in an instant. She could see the she kit's fur bristling as she looked at Oliveclaw.

"She's embarrassing herself." Bluekit snorted.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Sheepkit asked. As annoyed as she was with Oliveclaw, she couldn't help but feel concerned.

Bluekit shook her head. "Something about Smallkit and Leafkit."

"Calm down, Oliveclaw," Hawkstar had her tail resting across the queen's shoulders. "Mosstail, send a patrol out right now to go look for them."

Sheepkit spotted Ravenkit. The black she cat was huddled next to her mother and father. She could see the terror in Ravenkit's eyes.

Sheepkit had never seen Ravenkit scared before.

Mosstail was now calling out the names of cats to go on a patrol, "Sootpelt, Foxtail and Applepelt. You three may go. Foxtail, you lead."

Foxtail, a ginger tom with a black tail tip, dipped his head to his deputy, "I won't let you down," he told Mosstail, and then turned to Oliveclaw. "Your kits will be fine. They won't be missing for long."

Oh.

They went missing.

Guilt nearly knocked Sheepkit off her paws. She knew she had been inconsiderate of Oliveclaw's feelings, immediately getting angry at the queen for waking her up without knowing the whole story. Sheepkit knew she would have been horrified if she had woken up and Icekit had been missing.

She looked back at Ravenkit. Her denmate was trembling.

The last cat Sheepkit had ever expected to feel sympathy for was Ravenkit, but sympathy clawed at her heart, and it wouldn't stop.

"Mosstail!" Pouncestrike yowled. "I should go with them!"

The grey tabby deputy shook your head, "Stay here and look after your kits, you wouldn't want them going missing too."

"Well if they do, they're fishbrained!" Pouncestrike snarled. "They know what happened last time they left the camp!" She shot Sheepkit a glare, but the white she kit stood up straight, refusing to feel ashamed. She somewhat doubted her mother had really cared about her nearly drowning - but what she probably had cared about was the fact that Hawkstar had scolded her.